Westbrook

[Anonymous]

We went from private to westbrook. It's better than what we had before. I don't see any real issues with it. The complaimers are racist and/or classist

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We went from private to westbrook. It's better than what we had before. I don't see any real issues with it. The complaimers are racist and/or classist

Wanted to add we were already zoned for westbrook. But when we started, i could tell people were sensitive to why we started at westbrook and wanted to suss out if we were part of the rezoning. Once they figured we lived in the "right" neighborhood they were much nicer

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We went from private to westbrook. It's better than what we had before. I don't see any real issues with it. The complaimers are racist and/or classist

Wanted to add we were already zoned for westbrook. But when we started, i could tell people were sensitive to why we started at westbrook and wanted to suss out if we were part of the rezoning. Once they figured we lived in the "right" neighborhood they were much nicer

ouch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What happened to this school? Really considering looking at other options now. It feels overwhelming, chaotic. Not what was there before when I attended as child.

Hi Superintendent Taylor, nice of you to join this board!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What happened to this school? Really considering looking at other options now. It feels overwhelming, chaotic. Not what was there before when I attended as child.

Hi Superintendent Taylor, nice of you to join this board!

Didn't he go to Somerset?

[Anonymous]

I love the people on this board who think schools are the same as they were 25 years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We went from private to westbrook. It's better than what we had before. I don't see any real issues with it. The complaimers are racist and/or classist

Wanted to add we were already zoned for westbrook. But when we started, i could tell people were sensitive to why we started at westbrook and wanted to suss out if we were part of the rezoning. Once they figured we lived in the "right" neighborhood they were much nicer

This is BS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We went from private to westbrook. It's better than what we had before. I don't see any real issues with it. The complaimers are racist and/or classist

We did the opposite, went from Westbrook to private.
We are neither racist nor classist as you catalogue complainers, just got really tired of a school that went downhill really fast.
A breaking point for us was when the anti semitism happened and the principal withheld information for one whole month, then MCPS officials came to a community meeting and read from scripts.
It was then we realized that Westbrook wasn’t equipped for what it had evolved to and decided to leave.
We didn’t leave angry, just sad. Latest news have MCPS pushing for 21 kids per class as teachers leave.
Westbrook was a fine neighborhood school and it was my school as a child. It’s not like what it used to be.
To be honest, the changes started since the principal changed in 2017 and that was a few years ago and not recent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Westbrook has changed for the negative. It used to be a small neighborhood school. Now it’s not. I’m also not a fan of the principal and feel that someone a bit stronger could have helped the transition go smoother.

Neighborhood schools simply don’t exist anymore. It’s still drawing only from close by communities. Folks are upset though because now it includes more of the apartment buildings in Bethesda and Chevy Chase (the horror!).

I agree with both PPs here actually. It was a small neighborhood school with a tight community for a long time and people got used to that. From what I understand, the previous principal also sucked but I only have experience with the current principal who sucks. And yes, the school doubled in size and now includes less affluent and non “close-in” residents and, yes, that has taxed the school and PTA’s resources for the somewhat plush previous environment that existed. But I don’t think the overall situation is unique to MCPS or any other large school district, especially post-Covid. You get what you get with public school. Either get involved in the county to initiate change, move, or go private. The kids and families at Westbrook are still in a far better position than many others in other schools and school districts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We went from private to westbrook. It's better than what we had before. I don't see any real issues with it. The complaimers are racist and/or classist

We did the opposite, went from Westbrook to private.
We are neither racist nor classist as you catalogue complainers, just got really tired of a school that went downhill really fast.
A breaking point for us was when the anti semitism happened and the principal withheld information for one whole month, then MCPS officials came to a community meeting and read from scripts.
It was then we realized that Westbrook wasn’t equipped for what it had evolved to and decided to leave.
We didn’t leave angry, just sad. Latest news have MCPS pushing for 21 kids per class as teachers leave.
Westbrook was a fine neighborhood school and it was my school as a child. It’s not like what it used to be.
To be honest, the changes started since the principal changed in 2017 and that was a few years ago and not recent.

+1 on everything

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Westbrook has changed for the negative. It used to be a small neighborhood school. Now it’s not. I’m also not a fan of the principal and feel that someone a bit stronger could have helped the transition go smoother.

Neighborhood schools simply don’t exist anymore. It’s still drawing only from close by communities. Folks are upset though because now it includes more of the apartment buildings in Bethesda and Chevy Chase (the horror!).

I agree with both PPs here actually. It was a small neighborhood school with a tight community for a long time and people got used to that. From what I understand, the previous principal also sucked but I only have experience with the current principal who sucks. And yes, the school doubled in size and now includes less affluent and non “close-in” residents and, yes, that has taxed the school and PTA’s resources for the somewhat plush previous environment that existed. But I don’t think the overall situation is unique to MCPS or any other large school district, especially post-Covid. You get what you get with public school. Either get involved in the county to initiate change, move, or go private. The kids and families at Westbrook are still in a far better position than many others in other schools and school districts.

Pre-pandemic the enrollment had been 340-350. Last year's was 513.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Westbrook has changed for the negative. It used to be a small neighborhood school. Now it’s not. I’m also not a fan of the principal and feel that someone a bit stronger could have helped the transition go smoother.

Neighborhood schools simply don’t exist anymore. It’s still drawing only from close by communities. Folks are upset though because now it includes more of the apartment buildings in Bethesda and Chevy Chase (the horror!).

I agree with both PPs here actually. It was a small neighborhood school with a tight community for a long time and people got used to that. From what I understand, the previous principal also sucked but I only have experience with the current principal who sucks. And yes, the school doubled in size and now includes less affluent and non “close-in” residents and, yes, that has taxed the school and PTA’s resources for the somewhat plush previous environment that existed. But I don’t think the overall situation is unique to MCPS or any other large school district, especially post-Covid. You get what you get with public school. Either get involved in the county to initiate change, move, or go private. The kids and families at Westbrook are still in a far better position than many others in other schools and school districts.

Pre-pandemic the enrollment had been 340-350. Last year's was 513.

The school capacity is 638 which means it’s still under. Do you think this school was supposed to remain half full while others were overcrowded.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love the people on this board who think schools are the same as they were 25 years ago.

What is the problem with commenting on how the school has changed from personal experience? As someone not from the area, I find the information valuable to the iverall discussion.

[Anonymous]

Will the school be rezoned?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Will the school be rezoned?

The elementary school boundaries are staying as is, but it could be reassigned to feed to a different middle or high school during the Woodward study.